The present invention relates to television displays and more particularly relates to television mounting systems for flat panel displays.
Recently, there has been a marked growth in the popularity of flat panel displays, and in particular flat panel televisions. Flat panel televisions presently use one of two technologies, either liquid crystal or plasma display, to provide a display screen that is much thinner and lighter than traditional cathode ray televisions or projection televisions. Flat panel televisions are also versatile in that they can be placed on a stand or mounted on numerous surfaces such as a wall.
Typical systems for mounting a flat panel television to a wall include a wall mount, which is secured to the wall, and one or more mounting brackets, which are secured to the flat panel television. The brackets, with the flat panel television secured thereto, may be engaged with the wall mount, thereby mounting the flat panel television to the wall. In typical television mounting system installations, for aesthetic purposes the space between the mounted television and the associated wall is very narrow.
Many flat panel television mounting systems include a locking mechanism for preventing the television from being dismounted, inadvertently or intentionally, from its mounted position on an associated wall mount. The locking mechanism typically is located within the narrow space between the mounted television and the wall, which makes user access to and operation of the mechanism difficult. For example, the locking mechanism may not be located proximate an edge of the television, such that a tool that needs to be engaged with the locking mechanism for operating the mechanism must be relatively long, and inserted a relatively long distance into the narrow space. In addition, some locking mechanisms include a rotating element that needs to be rotated, usually using a tool that has been engaged with the rotating element, several revolutions to lock the television into the mounted position. As the space between the mounted television and wall is typically very narrow, the engagement of the tool with the rotating element and rotating of the tool several revolutions may be difficult, especially when the distance between the rotating element and the edge of the mounted television is relatively large.
Thus, a need exists for a television mounting system including a locking mechanism which a user may easily access and operate to prevent dismounting of a flat panel television which is mounted to an associated wall mount.